A new component of cosmic rays of unknown origin at a few MeV per nucleon

Recently discovered anomalies in the abundances and energy spectra of quiet time, extraterrestrial hydrogen, helium, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen require serious revisions of origin theories to account for this new component of cosmic radiation. Abnormally large O/C and N/C ratios, long term intensity variations with time, and radial gradient measurements indicate a non-solar origin for these 2 to 30 MeV/nucleon particles. Ideas suggested to explain these measurements range from acceleration of galactic source material having an unusual composition to local acceleration of particles within the solar cavity. Observations are at present insufficient to choose between these alternate origin models